In a significant leadership move underscoring its regional ambitions, Howden India has appointed Mandira Gupta as Managing Director and Head of Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) for India, the Middle East, and Africa (IMEA). The appointment is effective immediately, with Gupta based at the firm’s India headquarters in Mumbai.
Gupta’s elevation comes when India’s dealmaking ecosystem is witnessing sharp momentum. As per Grant Thornton Bharat, the first quarter of 2025 saw M&A and private equity deals worth $5.3 billion a 204% jump in value over Q1 2024. Howden’s decision to bring Gupta on board appears tightly aligned with this surge in transactional activity.
With over two decades of leadership experience spanning insurance broking and investment banking, Gupta is widely regarded as a pioneer in developing India’s transaction risk (TR) insurance landscape. She most recently served as Managing Director at Marsh India Insurance Broking, where she helmed the Private Equity and M&A practice and led the TR vertical across India, the Middle East, and Africa.
Speaking on her new role, Gupta stated, “I am delighted to join Howden and look forward to contributing to its growth and business objectives. My main emphasis will be on creating customised solutions for high-profile transactions, leveraging my long-standing relationships within the industry.”
At Howden, Gupta is expected to spearhead strategic expansion into high-growth markets, focusing on delivering private equity and transactional risk insurance solutions tailored to complex, high-stakes deals. Her appointment reinforces Howden’s intent to deepen its capabilities across the full M&A lifecycle, from deal origination to post-transaction integration.
Amit Agarwal, CEO & MD of Howden India, welcomed the appointment, saying, “We are proud to welcome Mandira to our team. Her expertise in the PE and M&A sectors will significantly enhance our value proposition as we continue to scale and diversify our offerings.”
Gupta’s leadership will likely be instrumental in driving client-centric innovation at a time when global firms are increasingly seeking bespoke risk mitigation strategies in volatile markets. Her combination of insurance structuring proficiency and a foundation in global investment banking, including nine years across India and London, positions her uniquely for the mandate.
With her arrival, Howden adds further depth to its senior leadership bench while signaling a strong commitment to scaling operations in an increasingly competitive regional insurance broking landscape.
